I'm may be heading way off, but it seems like no one is out on the keyboards of inner space in the online world today! Sunny days do tend to send people away from the computer. I'm here because of a terribly obnoxious cold so I will be working on a article all day.
I'm jealous of you who are enjoying the sunshine!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Rainy Days and Tuesdays...
Gray days. Well, at least it isn't a gray raining day here today! Though I must admit it is still spongy from the rains last night. Something about this kind of weather makes me burrow into my cave of a computer room and often gets me writing. Who wants to be out in that kind of weather anyway?? I have dogs sleeping and music playing and with a huge mug of tea what more could I ask for to warm myself on one of these dreary of days? I write and think and share my daily fauz pas and funny experiences.
I usually write simply to express how I'm feeling and articulate what's on my mind at any given moment. Almost everyone blogs these days, and could probably makes for a decent diary, or journal, but how many really take time to try expressing themselves fully in words and describing the world around them? I do of course, I can be crazy that way sometimes. I know, I can be a bit over the top when it comes to writing, but why has it a dark art for most kids when they are in middle and high school these days? Kids are so frustrated with, or are scared about writing! It's like they think they need to be gifted in this discipline to succeed as a writer, even just a journal writer.
The art of journaling, or writing a diary have moved into the computer world...well, sort of! If kids do write a blog, it is short only a few lines that describes how they feel but rarely a piece that shares our every day world. When we look at history, some of the best information we have about a given time comes from the journals historians have discovered. And those tomes really chronicle the life of every day people and what it was like to live during those periods in our history.
Examples that really made a difference in our view of early centuries can be found in some of the books we have read, and some of the great history shows we've seen over the years. One of the first that comes to mind for me is of course The Diary of Anne Frank, but there were many others that opened a window into a different age for us even more.
Samuel Peyps who lived in 17th century England gave us a vivid picture of the how the Plague in 1665 that ravaged London and what it felt like to survive the great fire of London in 1666 as well. A member of Parliament and a British naval administrator he wrote prolifically and gave us such a full vision of the city we would not have except for his insights.
From the volumes of diaries of those at home and on the war front of the American Civil War we have a picture of the individuals and familes that experienced this horrific period in our nation's history. If you've seen the Ken Burn's miniseries on that war you know that much of the images of how that conflict affected the lives of ordinary people came from those touching thoughts and word pictures from the many diaries that have survived as historical documents to our past.
Where will we get those images for future generations if our young people aren't shown the simple joys of sharing a life in the pages of a journal or diary? I really have no idea how we can spark that interest in our children and young people, but to give the world more than the annals of our governments as a record of how we really lived we need to find a way - today.
I usually write simply to express how I'm feeling and articulate what's on my mind at any given moment. Almost everyone blogs these days, and could probably makes for a decent diary, or journal, but how many really take time to try expressing themselves fully in words and describing the world around them? I do of course, I can be crazy that way sometimes. I know, I can be a bit over the top when it comes to writing, but why has it a dark art for most kids when they are in middle and high school these days? Kids are so frustrated with, or are scared about writing! It's like they think they need to be gifted in this discipline to succeed as a writer, even just a journal writer.
The art of journaling, or writing a diary have moved into the computer world...well, sort of! If kids do write a blog, it is short only a few lines that describes how they feel but rarely a piece that shares our every day world. When we look at history, some of the best information we have about a given time comes from the journals historians have discovered. And those tomes really chronicle the life of every day people and what it was like to live during those periods in our history.
Examples that really made a difference in our view of early centuries can be found in some of the books we have read, and some of the great history shows we've seen over the years. One of the first that comes to mind for me is of course The Diary of Anne Frank, but there were many others that opened a window into a different age for us even more.
Samuel Peyps who lived in 17th century England gave us a vivid picture of the how the Plague in 1665 that ravaged London and what it felt like to survive the great fire of London in 1666 as well. A member of Parliament and a British naval administrator he wrote prolifically and gave us such a full vision of the city we would not have except for his insights.
From the volumes of diaries of those at home and on the war front of the American Civil War we have a picture of the individuals and familes that experienced this horrific period in our nation's history. If you've seen the Ken Burn's miniseries on that war you know that much of the images of how that conflict affected the lives of ordinary people came from those touching thoughts and word pictures from the many diaries that have survived as historical documents to our past.
Where will we get those images for future generations if our young people aren't shown the simple joys of sharing a life in the pages of a journal or diary? I really have no idea how we can spark that interest in our children and young people, but to give the world more than the annals of our governments as a record of how we really lived we need to find a way - today.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Weather, Whether or Not You Like It!!
Weather can set the mood for any day. For many rainy or snowy days brings the blues and lethargy that is frustrating. Isn’t it funny that we change so with the weather? I have chosen to try to enjoy the rain, and after our perfectly dry summer the rain has really come as a blessing, though not to the crops – I fear it’s really too late for most of them. Sitting at the window, or watching the water run down my car window at a light really gives a different view of what rain can be. It’s definitely quite good art in the sense that the drops running together create this lovely view of dripping colors as if the painting is melting.
When wandering into that runny world during a soft summer shower it can make you feel clean and sticky and wet all at once. My dogs hide from the rain most of the time in their dog house, but willingly run out to greet a squirrel, or a passer by. They don’t seem to mind getting wet at all then, and neither do I. Guess I’m too old to care how I look when I’m wet.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
One Bad Day
Another crazy day. Do you ever feel like there are times in your life where you cannot do anything right? Today was one of those nasty days and I felt like I was saying, "it is okay, you did not do it to hurt anyone because that's not who you are," or, "you really did the best you could." all day over one thing after another. Those kind of days make for a re-run in my head that is stuck on the troublesome events all night long.
I hate those kind of nights! Hauntings by those ghosts of my day are no fun, and it is hard to change the station when they're on screen re-running through your mind every few minutes. I'm working at turning them off one by one, but there is always one that plays hard to get.
Here's to a better day tomorrow.
I hate those kind of nights! Hauntings by those ghosts of my day are no fun, and it is hard to change the station when they're on screen re-running through your mind every few minutes. I'm working at turning them off one by one, but there is always one that plays hard to get.
Here's to a better day tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Books that Move You
For me, books are a total escape and that has really always been true. As a kid those hard covered worlds were my escape from a world that was unkind for me and often painful.
One of my very favorite books told the story of a little red haired orphan from Prince Edward Island, Canada. That first book which was the beginning of a wonderful series that captured me most because the character seemed so much like who I was - only she had something very special in her attitude about people and the world and I wanted to be like her!
Something about that book, and those in the series about Anne that followed over the years changed my outlook of who I was. It may seem funny, but without that confidence that so many girls my age had I was unsure of myself in every arena and fearful of how I came across in almost all situations. Can a book really help build confidence, especially one that isn't a self-help book?? I am here to say from my own experience that, "Yes, it can!"
One simple little redhead showed me that you could make mistakes, be silly and still be a really profound girl, and woman. To this day I still re-read the Anne stories and am amazed at how much there is between the covers of this book.
Are there any books that touch you that much? If I'm honest with myself, there are many that changed my own perspective on life as well as the peoples of the world. Some of those book titles I don't remember, but the lessons I absorbed still remain in who I am and what I really believe.
One of my very favorite books told the story of a little red haired orphan from Prince Edward Island, Canada. That first book which was the beginning of a wonderful series that captured me most because the character seemed so much like who I was - only she had something very special in her attitude about people and the world and I wanted to be like her!
Something about that book, and those in the series about Anne that followed over the years changed my outlook of who I was. It may seem funny, but without that confidence that so many girls my age had I was unsure of myself in every arena and fearful of how I came across in almost all situations. Can a book really help build confidence, especially one that isn't a self-help book?? I am here to say from my own experience that, "Yes, it can!"
One simple little redhead showed me that you could make mistakes, be silly and still be a really profound girl, and woman. To this day I still re-read the Anne stories and am amazed at how much there is between the covers of this book.
Are there any books that touch you that much? If I'm honest with myself, there are many that changed my own perspective on life as well as the peoples of the world. Some of those book titles I don't remember, but the lessons I absorbed still remain in who I am and what I really believe.
Monday, March 9, 2009
I Wish the Weather Would Change!
March has arrived - with quite a question mark! Did it come in like a lion because of the intensely cold temperatures, or like a lamb because of the super sunny and quiet day? We've had warm and sunny, and often windy days since the beginning of the month, but we've also had our share of those cold winter days as well. It's almost like March is having a really difficult time deciding what it wants to be this year.
I think many of us here on the Western side of the state feel like we've had enough winter - I know I have. But the funny thing about spring is it enters our world each year when and where it wants and we can't entice it here with any promises we make. We can sometimes predict the weather, but we certainly can't change it!!
I think many of us here on the Western side of the state feel like we've had enough winter - I know I have. But the funny thing about spring is it enters our world each year when and where it wants and we can't entice it here with any promises we make. We can sometimes predict the weather, but we certainly can't change it!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Olde Lickity Split Dial-Up!
The age of fiber optics, computers and the craziness that comes with repairs and online fiascoes has just about done me in today. I've an ancient computer and it has been in and out of the "hospital" over the past two weeks way too often! Then today, we got hooked up to the new thing - fiber optics! We have our phone through it, and internet as well as basic cable for our TV.
The cable is fabulous! None of the blank screens like since we got that DSL box, which is great! The phone reception is pretty good too, but that internet connection has been a real problem all day!!! After about 7 hours we are finally online and it's much faster than our good old lickity split dial-up! This final change-over is great and is working fabulously.
It sure is nice to have something that moves so much faster than a snail, and I for one am really likeing it!!!
The cable is fabulous! None of the blank screens like since we got that DSL box, which is great! The phone reception is pretty good too, but that internet connection has been a real problem all day!!! After about 7 hours we are finally online and it's much faster than our good old lickity split dial-up! This final change-over is great and is working fabulously.
It sure is nice to have something that moves so much faster than a snail, and I for one am really likeing it!!!
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